Thanks Frightfully

[livingdeb]

I'm reading Dorothy Sayer's Murder Must Advertise (1933). So far the main character has spent a lot of time saying "Thanks awfully" and, even better, "Thanks frightfully."

"Do you want to know how to get anywhere or anything?"

"Oh! thanks awfully. No--I mean, yes. I'm the new copy-writer. I'm looking for the typists' room."

"Other end of the passage."

"Oh, I see, thanks frightfully. This place is rather confusing. Where does this staircase go to?"

"Down to a whole lot of departments--mostly group-managers' rooms and board-rooms and Mr. Pym's room and several of the Directors' rooms and the Printing."

"Oh, I see. Thanks ever so. Where does one wash?"

"That's downstairs too. I'll show you if you like."

"Oh, thanks--thanks most awfully."

These thanks don't always seem overdone. When they have been in response to people actually warning him up front about ways to get on people's bad sides or otherwise make a blunder in his new job, it makes more sense to go overboard.

"He's been a long time in the firm and doesn't like any nasturtiums cast at it. Certainly not by a new bloke. As a matter of fact, it's better not to throw one's weight about here till one's been ten years or so in the place. It's not encouraged."

"Oh? Oh, thanks awfully for telling me."